An Interview With Monica Sanders
Sustainability is a transformational initiative. For a business to be a leader in sustainability, there is a lot of education and change management that needs to come into the organisation. You need to change your processes, the way your products are being developed and the way you reward your employees.
According to the University of Colorado, “Those who are most affected and have the fewest resources to adapt to climate change are also the least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions — both globally and within the United States.” Promoting climate justice is an incredibly important environmental responsibility that is slowly becoming more and more recognized. In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who are helping to promote sustainability and climate justice. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Felipe Daguila.
Felipe Daguila is an accomplished global business and technology leader with a +25-year record of leading, designing and delivering transformative business and digital strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies (including Google and AWS), and now Terrascope. In his current role at Terrascope, Felipe works with a diverse group of purpose-driven individuals across technology, data science, strategy and more. Because carbon measurement and management are a very difficult task, Terrascope manages the complexity of carbon measurement, abatement, collaborates seamlessly between teams and with external partners, and shares trusted data with stakeholders.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
My childhood memories in Brazil are centred around a small floor shop where my father sold wood. From an early age, I’d always wanted to learn skills that can be applied in the real world, so this made school challenging for me. My father’s shop became my refuge after school and it became the first place where I was exposed to the world of sales, finance, customer service and marketing. Immersing myself in nature on my grandpa’s farm, a 600 km drive from São Paulo, was also how I spent my vacations away from school.
Floods were frequent when I was growing up and it was common to attribute them to the government’s negligence. It wasn’t until I started working and discovered my car submerged in the office parking lot that I grasped the concept of flood prevention as a collective responsibility. My colleague had a friend working in sustainability and he taught us the impacts of pollution from cars and various other sources.
These lessons were further amplified when I moved abroad for the first time and had nose bleeds every day for a week due to the air pollution. I also remember the 2015 Southeast Asian haze, with its hazardous thick fog, that had a profound impact on me especially with a small baby in tow. These were triggers for me to become more aware that there is a connection between our individual actions and their consequences on the planet.
Everyone has a cataclysmic moment or marker in their life which propels them to take certain actions, a “why”. What is your why?
It was my son’s homework that unwittingly became my catalyst for change. The school tasked him to find out more about his parents’ jobs and one of the questions was, “why is your father’s job important?”
I was working for another company at that time so I explained to him I was helping large enterprises move to the cloud so they can be more efficient. My son wasn’t satisfied with my answer and pressed me to explain further, not knowing that he was leading me to a turning point in my life.
This conversation prompted me to enter a philosophical self-evaluation of my career: I liked the role I was in but after 26 years of working in different countries & companies, what do I want to do next that could be more meaningful? I’d always wanted to work in sustainability since my youth in Brazil but there were no opportunities for me then. I started my search again in this space which led me to my current role at Terrascope.
You are currently leading an organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change?
In simple terms, we are dedicated to empowering enterprises to keep the planet habitable for all. We’re focused on tackling the issue of climate change significantly caused by carbon emissions emitted from the business operations of large organisations. According to the IPCC experts , we currently have a remaining carbon budget of 420 billion tonnes of CO2 to have a good chance (2 in 3) of limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. And at our current emission rates, we will most likely overshoot this budget before 2030.
This means we have less than 7 years to turn things around. While our window of opportunity is swiftly closing, the IPCC believes we can avoid the most dangerous climate risks if we achieve deep, rapid and sustained GHG reductions in all sectors within the coming years. However, for businesses, there are significant challenges in their decarbonisation journey:
- Inaccurate carbon measurement: Today, more than 90% of companies are unable to measure their emissions comprehensively and accurately, with the majority leaving out Scope 3 emissions as these are particularly difficult to quantify. Corporations that do measure their Scope 3 emissions tend to have a 30 to 40% error rate on their emission baselines.
- Transforming data into meaningful climate action / decarbonisation success: Inaccurate carbon measurement prevents setting realistic net zero targets and implementing effective reduction initiatives. A recent survey conducted by Verdantix and Terrascope found that despite the growing number of enterprises setting targets for Scope 3 reductions, implementation remains ineffective: Limited in-house skills, sluggish data collection, manual processes, vague strategies and organisational silos all impede progress on decarbonisation.
- Meeting stakeholder expectations and regulations: Inaccurate climate disclosures increasingly pose a big threat to brand trust and reputation. Jurisdictions across the globe are requiring enterprises to disclose climate-related information and Scope 3 emissions.
Here is where Terrascope comes in, we are an enterprise grade, end-to-end decarbonisation SaaS platform helping companies deal with the vastness of the data problem associated with understanding and acting on their carbon emissions. We have 10+ years of data and experience to measure corporate and product carbon footprint emissions and decarbonization. Our expertise allows us to guide enterprises on the most impactful actions they can make on the journey to net zero and how to reduce their scope 1, 2 and especially scope 3 emissions.
In today’s business landscape, carbon measurement and management has evolved from a “good to have” notion to a “make-or-break” compulsion for companies. Companies that fail to perform accurate and comprehensive carbon accounting — including the often-overlooked Scope 3 emissions in their value chains — will find themselves being exposed to a multitude of risks that may jeopardise brand reputation, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness. These companies may also fail to seize opportunities to future-proof their business, such as retaining and attracting investments, pivoting into innovative sustainable offerings, uncovering cost-saving measures, and meeting customer expectations and regulatory requirements.
An end-to-end decarbonisation solution like Terrascope has the potential to unlock value and opportunity for enterprises globally. Placing carbon emissions data in the hands of business leaders, at a commodity and business unit level, empowers companies to focus capital and human resources where it matters most.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I speak to a lot of Chief Sustainability Officers since joining Terrascope and that’s a very interesting change for me as someone who’s accustomed to serving technology, digital, banks and telcos in different forms. These sustainability experts have so much passion, knowledge and commitment which is admirable. The majority of them have been in this field for decades — it’s their whole career. They were traditionally not integrated in companies that were heavily focused on technology; however, we are witnessing that shift more swiftly.
Now that we are seeing the impact of climate change and the initiatives governments are pushing, these sustainability experts are coming into the spotlight. Seeing this community come together was groundbreaking because tech companies hadn’t historically shared what they were working on as a way to protect their IP. But with sustainability, the leaders understand that the problem is too big and to help the planet, we need to help each other. This openness to collaborate is refreshing and I’m thrilled to witness this firsthand.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
My first boss, Alexandre, gave me a chance when no one would. I was seventeen, a teenager bound for university — except I couldn’t afford it. I needed a job to fund my degree but couldn’t find a job back then. It was a classic catch-22 situation, but I found a company that was seeking people to analyse lines of codes for banks in preparation for Y2K and they took a shot by hiring me. I am very grateful for Alexandre and my former colleagues; I wouldn’t be here without them.
In the middle of my career, I had a very tough but honest CEO who taught me the importance of commitment, the say/do ratio where it is key to deliver on your promises and understanding customers. He had very high standards when it comes to people management, sales, execution & innovation and I learnt a lot working under him. The best advice he’s given me is: “Your job is to be clear and drive ownership. Many people will feel uncomfortable with this, but your team will experience growth only if you are true and honest”.
My family has also been very pivotal in my life and career. My father’s wood shop provided me with my initial exposure to running sales and business, and my wife has been a significant influence in fostering an open approach to work. My wife is multilingual, and I met her when I moved to the US for work. She was instrumental in my journey to learning English, a language I had not previously studied. Thanks to her guidance, I successfully led a team in English for the very first time.
Thank you for that. Let’s now move to the central part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms so that everyone is on the same page. What does climate justice mean to you? How do we operationalize it?
Climate justice has emerged from the idea that historical responsibility for climate change lies with wealthy and powerful people — and yet it disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable. It’s primarily been used to frame the contrast between industrialised nations, developing and underdeveloped nations wherein the more vulnerable regions are most susceptible to rising temperature.
The reality at hand is that vulnerable communities and nations are most impacted by the effects of climate change. While we discuss climate action and are on a journey of transition, how can businesses play a role in upholding climate justice? Businesses can make sure that all communities across the value chain are prepared, protected, and able to rebound, defined as building resilience. They must utilise this as an opportunity to identify ways to increase access to their products and services to help build resilience equitably. I’m proud of the work we’re doing in Terrascope because a good portion of our clients are connected directly or indirectly to the food and agriculture value chains. Working within this sphere allows us to play a pivotal role in addressing critical sustainability challenges within these industries.
As we transition our economies to reduce the impact of climate change, we can ensure business practices are just and uphold human rights. It’s essential to emphasise the needs of the people and communities that are disproportionately affected in their ecosystems. Climate justice must be central to any corporate climate commitment or action plan. By creating solutions and elevating the voices of those most affected are paramount in advancing climate justice. With the planet, its people come first too.
Science is telling us that we have 7–10 years to make critical decisions about climate change. What are three things you or your organization are doing to help?
We’re in an interesting time dealing with significant problems that will continue to globally contribute to climate change. At Terrascope, we’ve identified that the pathway to net zero involves three journeys — a journey to reduce data uncertainty, reduce emissions and green innovation. Confidence in carbon measurement is imperative to these three journeys and sits at the core of setting realistic carbon reduction targets, developing carbon minimising initiatives, and reliable disclosures.
Measurement inaccuracy is one of the greatest challenges in carbon measurement and management. More than 90% of companies are unable to measure their emissions comprehensively and accurately, with the majority leaving out Scope 3 emissions as they are particularly challenging to identify and collect data on.
We aim to cater to the end-to-end decarbonisation needs of enterprises. What makes us unique are 3 key things:
- Sector focus: We have deep sector expertise and are working with customers across various vertical industries, including agriculture, food & beverage, and consumer packaged goods, along with horizontal industries like manufacturing, technology, transportation, and real estate.
- Data Science: Utilising specialised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models, the platform streamlines and eliminates error-prone tasks by automatically processing, classifying, and matching business activity data with the relevant emission factors.
- Corporate Carbon Footprinting (CCF) and Product Carbon Footprinting (PCF) on one platform: Terrascope combines accurate CCF with with a focus on Scope 3 emissions, and Product Carbon Footprinting (PCF) to measure Cradle-to-Grave emissions on a single platform.
We also thrive on knowledge sharing and education to build awareness surrounding the notion of decarbonisation. Our solutions include providing access to training, learning and development opportunities that will allow industries to view the value of sustainability as an avenue for growth and profitability. The context of doing good business in a good way must be instilled through adequate knowledge sharing opportunities wherein business leaders are able to understand the impact of their operations on the environment and put in place efforts to achieve the outlined ESG goals.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you in your mission?
Climate action demands collective action, we must realise it’s every individual’s responsibility to drive change. There is a plethora of conversations and pledges on transitioning into a net zero economy, but the gaps are glaring, and challenges remain as stumbling blocks on our path there. To achieve net-zero by 2050, the necessary policies and the associated investments must be made between now and 2030.
The need of the hour is for business leaders to understand the need for managing their carbon emissions. Placing carbon emissions data in the hands of business leaders, at a commodity and business unit level, focuses capital and human resources where it matters most. When businesses understand the hotspots within their operations and are presented with solutions, that is when change comes into action.
On a community and society level, the biggest responsibility lies on our shoulders wherein understanding our carbon footprint is key to making impactful changes. Identify the areas that contribute significantly to GHG emissions and thereafter put in place measures that everyone can collectively abide by. The “Social” and “Governance” aspects in ESG are just as important: essentially, reducing carbon emissions isn’t just about cutting back — it’s about diving deep, understanding the roots, and then strategising for a greener future.
Policies and regulations remain at the core of transitioning into a green future. Governments are at the forefront of initiating change at a larger scale by putting in place policies, frameworks and investments that would aid the various stakeholders. From an eagle’s point of view, governments too must identify the hotspots on a local level and untangle the spider’s web to ensure the outlined goals are being fulfilled in an effective way.
In all, collective action is the final answer. For a car to drive smoothly towards its destination, every single moving part must be in alignment.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Carbon measurement and management is essential for businesses to maintain long-term viability and remain competitive in tomorrow’s low-carbon economy. Companies face ever-increasing pressure from investors and regulators to disclose and reduce their carbon footprint, while consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious.
Companies taking clear and credible steps to reduce their carbon footprint will thus be better positioned to attract investments and customers, as well as retain market share. Implementing data-driven carbon reduction strategies can also result in significant cost savings opportunities. At Terrascope, we empower many large companies with far-reaching value chains to achieve operational efficiencies, cut down on waste, and reduce costs by unlocking accurate and granular insights into their carbon footprint, particularly their Scope 3 emissions.
We recently worked with a client to identify their emission hotspots and establish a comprehensive baseline for Scope 3 emissions. This helped the client enhance the resiliency of their supply chain by pinpointing and reevaluating areas in need of optimisation with respect to emissions. Notably, one of the proposed procurement and processing alternatives showed the potential for a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions, as well as a potential reduction in supply chain costs.
This is the signature question we ask in most of our interviews. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started promoting sustainability and climate justice” and why?
- Sustainability is not just about reporting. People tend to view sustainability as a reporting requirement, a tick in the box for regulators and investors. However, they often overlook the incredible potential it holds for adding value to a company. Sustainability can be leveraged as a means to innovate, whether by developing new products or by embracing the circular economy, which allows for cost-saving through product reuse.
- Sustainability is a transformational initiative. For a business to be a leader in sustainability, there is a lot of education and change management that needs to come into the organisation. You need to change your processes, the way your products are being developed and the way you reward your employees.
- The road to sustainability is a multi-year journey. Some leaders may perceive it as a short-term concern and not give it significant attention, especially if they anticipate having a brief stint in the company or are near retirement age. However, it’s crucial for leaders to reflect on the type of legacy they wish to leave in their business. Will it be a legacy they can proudly share about with their children?
- Helping to fight climate change is not about perfection but progression. Often, businesses fixate on obtaining perfect data in their reporting, yet it’s nearly impossible to guarantee 100% accuracy. Sustainability is, instead, more about how businesses show progress at each step of the journey. If leaders don’t make a move until their data is 100% right, they’d have missed the boat.
- There is still no real sense of urgency to decarbonise. Businesses are placing greater emphasis on perfecting their reporting practices and are not necessarily finding the right actions to decarbonise. I strongly believe businesses should figure out what are their quick wins versus long-term wins on their journey to decarbonisation.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I’d love to meet Christopher Nolan. My first dream job was to be a movie director, largely inspired by my admiration for Charlie Chaplin. Just like Charlie, I consider Christopher to be one of the most visionary filmmakers of our time. His ability to explore topics at the intersection of science & society and bringing these powerful messages to life on the screen is exceptional.
I also admire Christopher’s commitment to minimising the use of CGI in favour of finding creative ways to shoot scenes in his films. His approach holds a lesson for us in the sustainability space: Often, we hear complaints about the technology not being advanced enough to hit our targets but there are quick wins in decarbonization which companies need to leverage.
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
Within a professional capacity, I’m active on LinkedIn @ Felipe Daguila and look forward to establishing connections with like-minded individuals. Do feel free to reach out and connect with me there.
Aside from that, Terrascope is also very active on LinkedIn where we consistently share company updates, thought leadership content, relevant key insights and bite-sized information on carbon measurement, climate change, our solutions, net-zero pathways and more. Additionally, our website has recently received a facelift and continues to house all important, timely and relevant information pertaining to our vision, mission, people, and operations.
We’re always open to discussions with enterprises and organisations that are seeking to walk the net-zero pathway. Terrascope believes in collective action and collaboration in tackling the big challenge ahead of us.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org
How Felipe Daguila Of Terrascope Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.